In the Dreamtime, all the creatures on Earth thought that they belonged to the most important group of creatures. Each group had their own special meetings. All the Animals had their own special meeting. All the Birds had their own special meeting and at the very same time all the Water Creatures had their own special meeting. Of course the Animals believed that they were the most special, and therefore the most important of all creatures, because they had fur on their bodies and could run across the land. Yet the Birds believed themselves to be even more special and important than the Animals, because they had feathers, could fly and lay eggs. Even so, the Water Creatures believed that they were even more special and therefore even more important than either the Animals or Birds! The Water Creatures were even more special still because they could swim and explore all the waterways on Earth. They believed this to be so because they knew that there was more water than land covering the Earth. But then someone from each group remembered that the shy Platypus did not belong to any group at all. So a representative from each group decided to ask the shy Platypus to join their one very special group. Firstly, a representative from the Animals went over to shy Platypus, to ask him to join their Most Special Animal Group. Soon after he left, a representative from the Birds went over to Platypus' place, to see if he would join their Even More Special Bird Group. Yet as he had done with the representative from the Animals, Platypus asked the Birds representative to come back, so he would have time to think about their offers. As the representative from the Birds was leaving, a representative from the Water Creatures arrived to ask shy Platypus if he would join their Even More Special Still Water Creature Group. Again, Platypus asked him to come back after he had had time to think about this very special offer. So shy Platypus set about asking his friends and family for advice, as to whose group he should join, but no one could help him, not even his special friend Echidna. After thinking about this very carefully for some time, shy Platypus called all the representatives and all the Animals, Birds and Water Creatures to his place. They all gathered around, wondering whose group shy Platypus would join. Then shy Platypus came out of his home. He climbed up onto a log, and when all the Animals, Birds and Water Creatures were quiet, shy Platypus spoke. "Thank you all for coming here today to my place. I wish to announce to you that I have decided not to join any group at all. All the creatures were shocked. "But you must join one group or another!" they cried out. "Please listen." said shy Platypus patiently. "Everyone is special in their own special way, so I do not have to join any special group to prove that. After all, just look at me! I am part animal, because I have fur on my body, and because I like running across the land. Yet I am also part bird, because my wife lays eggs, and we both have beaks. Even so, I am part Water Creature, because my home is at the water's edge and I love swimming and exploring the underwater world. So you can all see that I do not have to join any special group to be special. However, it is not only me that is special. Every single one of us here is special, as we all have something that makes each one of us special in our own very special way." All the Animals, Birds and water Creatures agreed with shy Platypus, so since that time onward, shy Platypus has been considered very special and very wise indeed.
Once you have read the story, you can use this document to complete a reading comprehension task. When you finish this task, please e-mail your answers to your Australian Partner Student, who will correct this for you!
Why Platypus is Special
In the Dreamtime, all the creatures on Earth thought that they belonged to the most important group of creatures. Each group had their own special meetings. All the Animals had their own special meeting. All the Birds had their own special meeting and at the very same time all the Water Creatures had their own special meeting.
Of course the Animals believed that they were the most special, and therefore the most important of all creatures, because they had fur on their bodies and could run across the land. Yet the Birds believed themselves to be even more special and important than the Animals, because they had feathers, could fly and lay eggs. Even so, the Water Creatures believed that they were even more special and therefore even more important than either the Animals or Birds! The Water Creatures were even more special still because they could swim and explore all the waterways on Earth. They believed this to be so because they knew that there was more water than land covering the Earth.
But then someone from each group remembered that the shy Platypus did not belong to any group at all. So a representative from each group decided to ask the shy Platypus to join their one very special group.
Firstly, a representative from the Animals went over to shy Platypus, to ask him to join their Most Special Animal Group. Soon after he left, a representative from the Birds went over to Platypus' place, to see if he would join their Even More Special Bird Group. Yet as he had done with the representative from the Animals, Platypus asked the Birds representative to come back, so he would have time to think about their offers.
As the representative from the Birds was leaving, a representative from the Water Creatures arrived to ask shy Platypus if he would join their Even More Special Still Water Creature Group. Again, Platypus asked him to come back after he had had time to think about this very special offer.
So shy Platypus set about asking his friends and family for advice, as to whose group he should join, but no one could help him, not even his special friend Echidna. After thinking about this very carefully for some time, shy Platypus called all the representatives and all the Animals, Birds and Water Creatures to his place. They all gathered around, wondering whose group shy Platypus would join.
Then shy Platypus came out of his home. He climbed up onto a log, and when all the Animals, Birds and Water Creatures were quiet, shy Platypus spoke. "Thank you all for coming here today to my place. I wish to announce to you that I have decided not to join any group at all.
All the creatures were shocked. "But you must join one group or another!" they cried out.
"Please listen." said shy Platypus patiently. "Everyone is special in their own special way, so I do not have to join any special group to prove that. After all, just look at me! I am part animal, because I have fur on my body, and because I like running across the land. Yet I am also part bird, because my wife lays eggs, and we both have beaks. Even so, I am part Water Creature, because my home is at the water's edge and I love swimming and exploring the underwater world. So you can all see that I do not have to join any special group to be special. However, it is not only me that is special. Every single one of us here is special, as we all have something that makes each one of us special in our own very special way."
All the Animals, Birds and water Creatures agreed with shy Platypus, so since that time onward, shy Platypus has been considered very special and very wise indeed.
Once you have read the story, you can use this document to complete a reading comprehension task. When you finish this task, please e-mail your answers to your Australian Partner Student, who will correct this for you!